I've never seen a definite explanation for this, but my theory is that these are from rolling marks/striations on the zinc core. It was plated, and when struck the air pockets between the zinc and the copper expanded, causing the lines.
I go through about a bank box of pennies a month and it seems that every single zinc, plated penny has these lines in them, generally they all run parallel to each other, it seems there's a reaction with the two elements causing this, just as Slurexe mentioned above.
it takes a long time to find a nice zinc-plated 1-c from the late 1990s where those lines are not overwhelming to the eye...
"Discovery follows discovery, each both raising and answering questions, each ending a long search, and each providing the new instruments for a new search." -- J. Robert Oppenheimer
I'm at the point where without a mag, my eye can detect zinc's vs magnetic now lol.
They always have a pinkish hue to them as well as the striations on pretty well each and every one of them. But when they look smooth they hit the mag lol.
Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited. Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use